1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector which is coupled by means such as a lever and the like.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
A known connector has a lever type or bolt type coupling means. The connector has an advantage in that it can be coupled and detached by a small force and can be applied to a multipole (more than twenty) connector. For example, a basic construction of a lever type connector is known in Japanese Patent Public Disclosure No. 4-62772 (1992).
For convenience of explanation, a prior lever type connector will be explained below by referring to FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIGS. 5A to 5D are schematic side elevational views of a prior lever type connector, illustrating a principle of the connector. FIGS. 6A to 6C are schematic longitudinal cross sectional views of the prior lever type connector, illustrating a problem in the prior connector.
As shown in FIG. 5A, the prior lever type connector comprises a female connector housing 1 in which a number of female terminals are mounted and a male connector housing 2 in which a number of male terminals to be inserted into the female terminals are mounted. A lever 3 is provided with a cam groove 3a which effects a "lever action" is rotatably attached to the male connector housing 2. A cover 4 to be put on the female connector housing 1 is provided with engaging projections 4a at opposite center lower side walls.
In order to couple the connectors 1 and 2 to each other, as shown in FIG. 5B, the engaging projection 4a on the cover 4 is engaged with the cam groove 3a in the lever 3 and then the lever 3 is turned to a counterclockwise direction shown by an arrow. The cover 4 and female connector housing 1 are inserted into the male connector housing 2 by a cam action of the cam groove 3a. When the lever 3 is further turned to the counterclockwise direction from a position shown in FIG. 5C to a position shown in FIG. 5D, the terminals in the connector housings 1 and 2 are interconnected against a mechanical insertion resistance, thereby coupling the connectors.
The terminals mounted in the connector housings 1 and 2 are not always limited to a single kind or distribution of terminals. For example, FIG. 6A shows a hybrid type connector having the male connector housing 2 in which a few terminals 5 for an electrical power supply and many terminals 6 for a signal transmission are mounted. Since the many terminals 6 for a signal transmission are disposed at the right side in the drawing in the hybrid type connector, a mechanical insertion resistance upon insertion of the female connector housing 1 is imbalanced in the right and left areas so that the resistance in the right area is larger than that in the left area.
The female connector housing 1 is inserted into the male connector housing 2 while being inclined on account of such an imbalance of the insertion resistance. Consequently, the female connector housing 1 is finally coupled to the male connector housing 2 with the housing I being inclined relative to housing 2 as shown in FIG. 6C. This causes a problem since the signal terminals 6 are incompletely inserted into and contacting the mating terminals.
Even if such an imbalance of the insertion resistance is caused in a hand-insertion type connector, it may be relatively easily corrected by a worker since he or she can feel the imbalance of the insertion resistance. However, in the lever type connector wherein the female connector housing 1 is pushed down by the coupling mechanism which utilizes the "lever action" of the lever 3, the worker can not feel the imbalance. Consequently, the worker will mistake an incomplete coupling of the connector for a complete coupling even if the cause of the incomplete coupling is in the connector.